Alternating switching attachment for typographical machines



1953 F. SCHGNENBERGER 2,365,496

ALTERNATING SWITCHING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Filed July 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FRANZ SCHONENBERGER ATTORNEY 1958 F. SCHONENBERGER 2,865,496

ALTERNATING SWITCHING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Filed July 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I J I I I L I 1 VVENTOR. F/PA/VZ SCHONENBE/PGER ATTORNEY villi/Ill I F l I.

United States Patent ALTERNATING SWITCHING ATTACHIVIENT FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Franz Schonenberger, Baden, Switzerland, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Harris-Intertype Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 23, 1956, Serial No. 599,555

2 Claims. (Cl. 199-24) This invention relates to typographical machines of the general class wherein matrices are stored in magazines and selectively delivered therefrom by manipulation of a keyboard, assembled in a line for reproduction either by casting a type bar or by photography after which they are returned to their respective magazines, and is particularly related to escapement mechanism whereby matrices bearing the same character may be released, alternately, from adjacent magazine channels.

This invention is adapted to machines wherein, for example, the e and n keys are adjacent as in German machines wherein it is customary to provide two channels of lower case e matrices and two channels of lower case n matrices in the first four channels because these two characters are used far more frequently than the rest in the German language. Still further, the present invention may be applied to eifect alternate release of matrices from any desired pair of adjacent channels, to provide for example, a double supply of leaders such as dots, dashes, etc.

Various mechanisms have been devised and patented to utilize two adjacent channels of similar matrices. In one system the switching from one channel to an adjacent one is effected by the raising of the assembly elevator and therefore if the machine is being run at a relatively high speed it is possible that the supply of a particular character in one channel becomes exhausted and thereby interrupts the composition despite the fact that a second channel of this character is still in the magazine. Whereas character shortage may be noticed on hand operated machines, such shortage would not be detected on machines operated automatically, as by the well known Teletypesetter operating unit, until the work reached proofing stage. Other designs have provided means for releasing matrices alternately from adjacent channels but have been found unsatisfactory for various reasons such as excessive wear and extensive complicity of parts.

According to the present invention a keyrod is provided near its upper end with a pivot pin from which is suspended a pawl disposed in a cavity in a switch housing attached to the upper horizontally disposed keyrod guide. The bottom of the cavity has a roof like shape whereas the top of said cavity is bipartite. Thus, as a keyrod is driven upward in response to keyboard action the upper portion of its pawl enters a recess or pocket directly above the pivot pin and when the keyrod gravitates to its lower position the lower pointed tip of its pawl engages and slides down a declinate lower surface of the cavity and when it abuts against the bottom will cause the pivot pin and supporting keyrod to be displaced in the opposite direction and thereby dispose the pivot pin in line with the other of the two recesses formed in the upper bipartite portion of the cavity. When the keyrod is again actuated the just described shifting action will be reversed. The present invention can be applied either in front or in back of the keyrods as desired.

In view of the foregoing it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a simple mechanical switching mechanism which will automatically efiect alternate release of matrices from adjacent channels by successive actuations of a single keybutton and keyrod.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an alternating switch attachment which may be readily applied to an existing machine in the field.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying, drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the mechanism from the keybutton to the escapement in the lower end of a magazine and showing the switch housing mounted to the rear of the keyrods.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, showing the relationship between the pawls and switch housing of a dual unit.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, showing the disposition of a single unit switch housing applied in front of the keyrods. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the mechanism shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a keyrod showing the disposition of the pawl supporting pm.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified pawl supporting pin which can be attached to a keyrod.

For convenience of disclosure, a single train of elements of the dual unit shown in Figure 2 will now be described with the understanding that the other train and that of the single unit shown in Figure 4 operate in the same manner. Referring to Figure 1, a dual unit switch housing 10 is mounted to the underside of the keyrod frame strip 12 behind the row of keyrods. Projecting rearwardly and adjacent the upper end of keyrod 14 is a pivot pin 16 (Figure 6) which extends into a cavity 18 in housing 10. An elongated tapered pawl 20 is pivotally supported at its upper end upon pivot pin 16 and is thereby also disposed in the cavity 18.

Referring to Figure 2, the cavity 18 is divided at'its upper end by a separating rail 22 thus providing two recesses or pockets 24 and 26 each of such width as to permit the pawl 20 to pass freely but at the same time confine its lateral motion to a minimum. The surface of the cavity opposite the recesses 24 and 26 is tapered upwardly to a point in vertical alignment with the separating rail 22 and thereby provides a pair of inclined pawl engaging surfaces 28 and 30.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, keyrod frame guide 34 must be altered to the extent of removing the tine 32 which is disposed between the two escapements concerned and one of the associated keyrods must be removed from the machine to permit the other keyrod to be reciprocated between the two keyrod positions.

For double e and n German layouts wherein the first two magazine channels contain e matrices and the second two channels contain n matrices, dual cavities are provided in a single housing as shown in Figure 2; whereas, for alternately releasing matrices from a single pair of adjacent channels a single cavity unit such as shown in Figure 4 may be provided. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a single-unit switch housing 35 is mounted in front of the keyrods where it is more readily accessible for installation and removal for servicing with a minimum requirement of removal of machine elements.

Referring to Figure 7 an alternative, and probably more desirable, method of mounting a pawl supporting pin is shown. According to this variation a pin 16 is mounted endwise in a clamp bracket 36 having a slot Patented Dec. 23, 1958' 38 of such width as to embrace keyrod 14, edgewise.

Referring to Figure 1, when keybutton 44 is depressed trigger 46 releases cam yoke 48 which thereby gravitates until its cam engages the keyboard roll and thereby causes the free end of yoke 48 to be driven upwardly thus raising the keyrod 14 which rocks escapement 50 to release a matrix from the magazine.

Referring to Figure 2, when keyrod 14 rises, pawl 20 assumes a vertical position as soon as its lower tip 52 clears the inclined surface 30 of cavity 18. As the keyrod 14 continues to rise the portion of the pawl 20, embracing its supporting pivot pin 16, enters the recess 24 of cavity 18 (see position of pawl in left-hand recess of Figure 2) thus preventing sidewise movement of the upper end of keyrod 14 and thereby assuring proper action of the escapement mechanism.

After the escapement action, keyrod 14 gravitates downwardly and the lower tip 52 of pawl 20 impinges upon the inclined surface 28 at the bottom of the cavity and is thus deflected to the right until it reaches the point where surface 28 joins the vertical surface of cavity 18'. Because the point '52 has now assumed a position to the right of the vertical travel of pin 16, said pin and its supporting keyrod 14 will be gravitationally caused to'swing to the left to the position shown in Figure 4 whereat the portion of pawl 20 adjacent pin 16 banks against the left-hand side wall of cavity 18. When the same keybutton 44 is again actuated the keyrod 14'will rise vertically in alignment with pocket 26 of cavity 18, thus causing actuation of the alternate channel escapement and, during the subsequent gravitational movement of said keyrod the tip '52 of pawl 20 will impinge upon inclined surface 30 of cavity 18 and the above described switching action will be reversed.

While there are above described but a limited number of embodiments of the invention, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departure from the inventive concept above disclosed and it is, therefore, desired that only such limitations shall be imposed on the appended claims as are stated therein, or required by the prior art.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a typographical composing machine having a plurality of matrices stored in channels of a magazine, individual escapements for singly releasing said matrices, a framework, a keyrod mounted in said framework for vertical movement to actuate either one of two adjacent escapements depending on its lateral position, and means for causing vertical movement of said keyrods, the combination of means for causing said keyrod to actuate said two escapements on alternate vertical strokes comprising a pawl pivotally suspended on one of said keyrods, three guide elements spaced to define two downwardly opening vertical slots arranged side by side to receive and laterally confine said pawl on the upward movement of said keyrod, and a roof-like cam element positioned to engage the lower end of said pawl on the downward movement of said keyrod, the peak of said cam being centered beneath the center one of said guide elements.

2. In a typographical composing machine having a plurality of matrices stored :in channels of a magazine, individual escapements for singly releasing said matrices, a farmework, :a keyrod mounted in said framework for vertical movement to actuate either one of two adjacent escapements depending on its lateral position, and means for causing vertical movement of said keyrods, the combination of means for causing said keyrod to actuate said two escapements on alternate vertical strokes comprising a recessed housing attached to said framework, the recess in said housing being formed to provide at its upper end two downwardly opening vertical slots with a separating rail between them and at its lower end a roof-like carn surface with its peak centered beneath said separating rail, a pin extending from one of said keyrods into the recess of said housing, a pawl pivotally suspended on said pin within said recess, said pawl being adapted to enter one of said slots on each upward movement of said keyrod and to be laterally confined therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,041,676 Rodiger et al Oct. 15, 1912 1,081,047 Kingsbury Dec. 9, 1913 1,092,150 Kennedy Apr. 7, 1914 1,231,879 Guest July 3, 1917 1,288,914 Kennedy Dec. 24, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,304 Great Britain July 25, 1912 238,601 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1925 

